Ms Smith was one of seven MPs to announce they were leaving Labour to form the new Independent Group, citing - among other issues - Jeremy Corbyn's handling of allegations of anti-Semitism within the party.

The 57-year-old MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge in South Yorkshire was first elected in May 2005 for Sheffield, Hillsborough. She won the 2017 general election contest with a 1,322 majority.

Last month Mr Corbyn was criticised after he appeared to refuse to give way to Ms Smith during his Commons Brexit statement, which she suggested happened because she supports a second referendum.

Over the years, the veteran MP has formed part of a number of parliamentary select committees, including transport and environment, food and rural affairs.

In her statement as the Labour Party split was announced, highly critical of Mr Corbyn, Ms Smith said since his election as leader in 2015 there has been a change in the Labour Party that has "destroyed the proud legacy built by our predecessors".

She also revealed that by the age of five she knew her voting intention, but that the current Labour Party is "characterised by lazy, populist thinking".

Mrs Smith was born in 1961 and spent her early years in Grimsby and her father was a printer and former fisherman.

After studying at night school for her A Levels, she attended Nottingham University and moved to Sheffield, where she became a lecturer at Dearne Valley College teaching English to post 16-year-olds until leaving in 2003.

In November, she become the latest Labour MP to have a motion of no confidence in her passed by her local constituency party.

Local Labour members in Penistone and Stocksbridge voted 27 to 20 in a general committee (GC) meeting to express no confidence in their MP. Smith later called them a “a cabal of hard left members” and accused the CLP of “internal political posturing”.

Trending

Alan Biggs At Large: Why Steve Bruce could be handed an opportunity he can’t refuse

New Sheffield restaurant co-owned by Arctic Monkeys star lives up to the highest expectations

This is why we could soon see cafes and camp sites in Sheffield parks

Favourite Things: “I’m back in the city that means so much to me”

This is when Sheffield’s latest food hall packed with amazing independent traders will have its long awaited opening